Unpopular opinion: Those $600+ star trackers are overrated for beginners

I spent $250 on a used iOptron SkyTracker Pro a few months ago to get into deep sky astrophotography. Everyone in the forums told me I needed to spend way more on a proper mount. But honestly, it's working fine for my DSLR and kit lens. I was able to get decent 90-second exposures of the Orion Nebula last week without drifting. Sure, it's not perfect for heavy gear, but for someone just starting out, it saved me from dropping a grand before I even knew what I was doing. Has anyone else gone budget on a tracker and gotten good results?

2 comments

2 Comments

joel2803d ago

Stumbled into this same thing with my first telescope actually. I mean its wild how the hobby forums make you feel like you need to mortgage your house to get started, but then you see people out there with a wobbly tripod and a phone camera getting shots that look better than half the stuff on Instagram. Its like this weird gatekeeping that happens in every hobby Ive been in, from fixing cars to woodworking. Id rather have someone with a cheap setup actually getting out there and learning than someone with a $2000 rig who just watches YouTube reviews all day.

phoenixp303d ago

...and honestly that's the thing, people get so hung up on specs they forget that half the fun is just figuring out what works for you. I started with a beat up DSLR and a tripod that wobbled in a light breeze, got some awful star trails but learned more in two nights than any YouTube tutorial could teach. If you're getting 90-second exposures of Orion with a $250 tracker, you're already ahead of the game, who cares what the forums say.